Pita Corner- Lawrenceville — Restaurant in Georgia

NOT SAFE FOR CELIAC AND FOOD ALLERGIES! Went there a few days ago and asked about gluten-free options and told them my husband has a severe allergy. The guy working behind the counter asked a woman who seemed to be running everything and she approached me and said "everything is gluten-free", I asked "even the pita bread?" And she handed me the package the pita comes in and says "look, its gluten-free" so I looked at the package and the first ingredient was wheat flour - so very OBVIOUSLY NOT gluten-free. I handed it back and pointed out that gluten is wheat and this could literally kill my husband. She took the package back and seemed frustrated with me then told me the hummus is only 3 ingredients. I asked if those ingredients were gluten-free and she insisted they were. I asked about how its prepared and explained cross-contamination with any wheat or flour products is not safe for him and that even the person handing anything we order must change they're gloves and not touch any pita when preparing his food. She took off her gloves, showed me her hands and said she'd prepare it herself. But the food was not actually gluten-free - my husband has been horrifically sick for 4days and still going, we have our doctor on speed dial and this has been a horrendous nightmare all around. I'll spare you the horrific details.

YOU CANNOT LIE TO CUSTOMERS WITH LIFE-THREATENING ALLERGIES JUST TO SELL A $10 MEAL!!!!

You should not be allowed to work in the food service industry if you do not understand anything about very common allergies! I worked in restaurants for years and there is very clear information and training available to anyone in this field.

I gave this rating an extra star because if we had not had a severe allergy situation and been lied to about ingredients, the service was efficient, they were reasonably friendly to the rest of our group who seemed to enjoy their meals, and the hummus was tasty. Just definitely NOT SAFE for anyone with celiac.

Please take allergies seriously and don't risk any...

Not bad, not bad at all. To be honest, I'm always skeptical when it comes to any Mediterranean food that feels too franchised up. That was the vibe I got when I came here.

Located in the Publix shopping center in Lawrenceville on Duluth Hwy, this place is hard to miss because well it's located on "the corner". See what I did there? For reals though it is located on a corner.

Anyways the restaurant isn't too big but it had enough tables to sit a decent amount of people. They have flat screen TVs that act as both the menu for ordering and also for viewing television events. The interior is very up to date and modern, which is what gave me the franchise vibe. I'm used to the more homely vibe of places like Jerusalem Bakery (great place btw).

The menu options are pretty simple if you've been to any Mediterranean or Greek restaurant before. You have your shawarma and gyros that take up most of the menu. Most meals do not come with a drink, which you have to get separately.

In terms of taste, it was pretty good, not the best but definitely not the worst I had. They do need to understand that good Mediterranean food has some good hot sauce options, which all I could find was the basic tobasco type American hot sauce rather than the kind made for Mediterranean food. They need to get on that if they want to compete with some of the more authentic spots. Maybe they were just running short on supply when I was there.

Overall though, it's pretty good in general. Forgot to mention as well that your food is brought to you so you won't have to go pick it up yourself. Definitely a plus! This place is good enough to check out it you just happen to be in the area.

My Recommendations- Beef...

I placed a phone order at 1:48 PM for a lamb gyro sandwich with just sauce, no vegetables, and a side of white rice for my child. I’ve been coming to this Pita Corner location since it opened and have never had an issue until now.

When I walked in, one employee was loudly arguing with another in full view of customers. A different staff member told her to stop, pointing out that a customer (me) had just walked in. The man who took my order came out from the back looking completely lost and confused. I told him I was there to pick up my order, and instead of simply checking, he started opening random bags, then began arguing with me insisting I ordered steak and explaining how I supposedly placed the order.

Excuse me? I know what I ordered. Then the same woman who had been arguing earlier jumped in, said I must have called a different location (I didn’t), and told him she’d just remake it. I clearly told him, “Please let her know no lettuce.”

He watched her make the sandwich and put lettuce on it anyway. Then after it was already on, he finally said something so she just scraped it off like that made it okay. What a joke.

There was no apology, just gaslighting, confusion, and chaos. I don’t have a problem paying $14 for an adult meal, especially when it’s for my kid but I absolutely do have a problem being treated like I did something wrong.

The food was greasy, the service was unprofessional, and the energy in this place was a mess. Sadly, I won’t be stepping foot back into this location again....